In November 2013 SIMRAD announced a new line of multi-function chart plotter display devices with touch screen interfaces, called the evo2. The evo2 would provide touch screen and a new look user interface, and would be applied to both the NSO and NSS series of displays. The NSO devices are intended for larger vessels, and are really not a small boat technology. The NSS devices are more appropriate for small boats. The NSS evo2 series will be made in four models, with displays of 7-, 9-, 12-, and 16-inch displays. The rollout and MSRP of these models is scheduled as follows:

NSS7 evo2 = $1,399 available March 2014NSS9 evo2 = $2,849 available April 2014NSS12 evo2 = $3,999 available June 2014NSS16 evo2 = $5,699 available May 2014

Since the NSS 7 evo2 is the smallest, least expensive, and presently the most available model, let us look at its features.

The NSS 7 evo2 utilizes a 16:9 wide screen touch sensitive display, but also provides four conventional pushbuttons and a rotary dial interface. A GNSS receiver (receives GPS and GLONASS) with a 10-Hz update rate in built into the NSS7 evo2. It also has a very modern SONAR with both conventional down-imaging using pulse compression (chirp) technology and side-scan imaging. These are called "chirp enable broadband" and "structure scan". The NSS7 evo2 also integrates with a SIMRAD GoFree WiFi device, to allow wireless devices using iOS and Android to display and control the NSS7.

The touch screen user interface has large, colorful, jelly-bean-like icons, and it supports the familiar gestures of modern touch screen tablet devices, like pinch-in or pinch-out to zoom.

The SONAR is said to provide the equivalent side-scan performance as the separate LSS-2 module, and the equivalent broadband and pulse compression performance of the separate SonarHub chirp sounder. All of this echo sounding capacity is built into the NSS7 evo2, and external modules are no longer necessary. To get all of that SONAR performance, however, you must buy the appropriate transducers. They are not included, and the cost of the transducers is often significant. For example, the transom-mount AIRMAR TM150 is recommended for the pulse-compression SONAR; it costs $300. ( http://www.boemarine.com/navico-tm150m-transom-mount-chirp-transducer/ )

A side scan transducer is also needed. It is not clear how many transducers can be connected and used simultaneously. The SonarHub has input for two transducers.

The chart plotter can use a very wide assortment of digital charts.

The NSS-7 evo2 appears to have an "embedded auto pilot." I believe this means it has the processing power to run an auto-pilot helm.

The NSS-7 evo2 has the functionality of the SONARHub embedded, but neither the NSS evo2 or SonarHub can do structure scan (side scan) and chirp simultaneously.

LSS2 transducer is about $250. A TM150 chirp transducer is $275

NSS evo2 is newer, faster and has more functionality than Lowrance HDS Touch.

samwhaler

posted 09-06-2014 04:51 PM ET (US)
Just received the SIMRAD NSS7 evo2 and an AIRMAR TM150M transducer today. After opening the package I noticed that the unit has a transducer connector for a 7-pin plug, but the TM150 cable has only 5 pins. I tried calling SIMRAD support, but their hours are only during the week. I called West Marine and was told it is the right combination. I would think there would be some loss of data between the unit and transducer if two pins are not used. AIRMAR makes a much more expensive transducer, the TM 260 that has a 7-pin cable.--Sam

jimh

posted 09-07-2014 05:52 AM ET (US)
Do the connectors mate?

samwhaler

posted 09-07-2014 12:14 PM ET (US)
Jim, thanks for your help. Yes they do mate, but there are two spots on the unit's port part that are not in use. I am not an expert in electrical connection, but I was wondering if I will be loosing some of the available data? On other hand if the information is more in the direction to the unit? then I guess it is capturing all the data available. I guess the TM 260 with 7 pins will send more data to the unit and that is why it is three times the cost of the TM150. I believe CW member bluewaterspirates installed both a TM 150 and TM 260 on his boat at one point before the upgrade, I hope he reads this and gives me his opinion.Sam

Don SSDD

posted 09-07-2014 03:43 PM ET (US)
You would think Simrad or Airmar could tell you what data difference there is between the 2 transducers?

Don

samwhaler

posted 09-07-2014 04:05 PM ET (US)
Don, I hope they do! I did sent SIMRAD's customer service an email yesterday and tried to call them, unfortunately nothing is available till Monday. I just came from west marine and they did not have answers either.

jimh

posted 09-08-2014 06:31 PM ET (US)
It is quite common for a connector to have more actual contacts than its mate does. In the case of a SONAR transducer, there are a couple of reasons for the cable from the SONAR transducer to be missing some poles in the connector:

--the missing poles may be for a circuit for a temperature sensor, and the particular model of transducer may lack the embedded temperature sensor, thus omitting those pins on the connector, or

--the missing poles may be for a circuit for a second SONAR transducer embedded in the housing, and this particular model of transducer may not have the second SONAR transducer contained in its housing.

I cannot offer you any specific advice on your specific sound and transducer purchase. I recommend you contact the retailer from whom you purchased these components, and inquire with that retailer to confirm that the components you purchased are the proper ones for interconnecting and working together. Do NOT make an assumption that because the mating connector on the cable from the transducer you purchased omits a couple of contacts that there has been some error made.

The connector on the SONAR base unit was probably designed to work with a variety of transducers, including ones with two transducers such as side-scan SONAR transducers which have two transducer arrays, one aimed to Port and another to Starboard. If you have purchased a transducer with only one actual transducer array, there may be some missing pins or sockets on the cable from the transducer.

samwhaler

posted 09-09-2014 05:48 AM ET (US)
Jim you are right, NAVICO customer support response is that the TM150 is compatible with the [Simrad NSS evo2]. The difference between the TM150 and TM260 is the speed sensor. They recommended the XDCR LSS-2 for the structure scan port. Thanks for your help. Sam